OBIRCH dual power circuit

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus for testing a semiconductor structure requiring a precise core or operating voltage with an OBIRCH analysis arrangement. The separate power supply used for providing the precise core or operating voltage is eliminated, and is replaced by connecting a circuit comprised of a plurality of Schottky diodes connected in series across the constant voltage power supply used to provide the current for the OBIRCH analysis. A precise voltage is then tapped from an anode of the series connected Schottky diodes thereby significantly reducing effects of background noise on the OBIRCH analysis.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/509,101, filed on Oct. 6, 2003, entitled OBIRCH Dual Power Circuit,which application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the testing of integratedcircuits using the OBIRCH (Optical Beam Induced Resistance Change)techniques, and more particularly to the use of using the OBIRCH powersupply to also power the integrated core circuits under test.

BACKGROUND

As is well known by those skilled in the art, a continuing goal inmanufacturing and production of semiconductors is a reduction in size ofcomponents and circuits with the concurrent result of an increase in thenumber of circuits and/or circuit elements such as transistors,capacitors, etc., on a single semiconductor device. This relentless andsuccessful reduction in size of the circuit elements has also requiredreduction in the size of the conductive lines, connecting devices andcircuits. However, as the individual circuits and conducting lines aredesigned to be smaller and smaller, the number of circuits andconnecting lines is increasing. This increase in numbers simultaneouslyraises the opportunity for more open circuits, more short circuits andother failures. The smaller size also increases the difficulty ofidentifying problem areas and/or failures such as short circuits andopen circuits. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, thesedifficulties have led to the development of the OBIRCH testingtechniques such as for example, described in Proceedings of the ATS(Asian Testing Symposium) 1997 Nov. 17, AKITA, pp. 214-219 (1997).

Aluminum is one of the materials commonly used as the metal interconnectlines and silicon oxide is commonly used as the dielectric.Deterioration of the reliability of aluminum interconnection lines hasbecome more serious with the progressive miniaturization ofsemiconductor integrated circuits and increase in interconnection levelsof semiconductor integrated circuits. Deterioration of the reliabilityof aluminum interconnection lines is attributable to increase in currentstresses and mechanical stresses induced in aluminum interconnectionlines.

While the size of aluminum interconnection lines is on the submicronorder, currents that flow through aluminum interconnection lines are onthe order of several hundred microamperes and current density is as highas the order of 105 A/cm2. Further, mechanical stresses are induced ininterconnection lines when the semiconductor integrated circuit issubjected to heat treatment in the LSI manufacturing process.

Such stresses induced in the interconnection lines cause the migrationof aluminum atoms, electromigration or stress migration, which formsvoids in the interconnection lines. These voids increase the resistanceof the interconnection lines and, in the worst case, break theinterconnection lines.

However, newer manufacturing techniques now favor copper as the metalfor interconnect lines and various low K materials (organic andinorganic) are favored as the dielectric material. Aluminuminterconnects may be formed by depositing a layer of aluminum and thenusing photoresist, lithography, and etching to leave a desired patternof aluminum lines, the formation of copper interconnect lines aretypically formed by a process now commonly referred to as a Damasceneprocess. The Damascene process is almost the reverse of etching, andsimply stated a trench, canal or via is cut, etched or otherwise formedin the underlying dielectric and is then filled with metal (i.e.,copper).

Unfortunately, although copper has the advantages discussed above, itreadily diffuses into dielectric material used in the manufacture ofsemiconductor devices, and it diffuses especially easily into silicondioxide. Diffusion of copper into the dielectric materials of asemiconductor device can cause serious reliability problems includingelectrical shorts. Therefore, it is typical to form a barrier layerbetween the copper used for conductors and leads and the dielectricmaterial of a semiconductor device. Typical barrier layers may be formedof Ta (tantalum), TaN (tantalum nitride), Ti (titanium), TiN (titaniumnitride) and various combinations of these metals as well as othermetal. The barrier layer is typically formed on the bottom and sidewallsof the trenches and vias of the copper interconnects to prevent thecopper from diffusing into the surrounding silicon dioxide as otherdielectric material. A layer of silicon nitride is then typicallydeposited as a cover layer over the complete structure including theconductor areas and the dielectric layer before another layer or levelof dielectric structure is deposited.

Accordingly, whether the integrated circuits (IC's) are fabricated usingcopper or aluminum interconnecting lines, the detection and observationof the frequency and positions of voids or shorts in the interconnectinglines, whether copper or aluminum, are essential to the reliability ofintegrated circuits.

Furthermore, as the size of the integrated circuits continues todecrease, the voltage levels for operating the individual elements hasalso decreased. Consequently, background noise and instability or driftof the power supplies used to test the circuits has a growing adverseeffect on the ability to successfully test the IC's and to identify andlocate the problems.

Therefore it would be advantageous to reduce the effects of backgroundnoise and power supply drift caused by the power supplies used duringtesting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, andtechnical advantages are generally achieved, by the present invention,which discloses methods and apparatus for reducing noise and powersupply instability problems during OBIRCH analysis testing of circuitelements requiring a precise operating or core voltage. The inventioncomprising the steps of providing an OBIRCH analysis circuit having I/Oterminals and having a circuit element to be tested connected thereto. Apower source having a positive and a negative output is connected acrossthe I/O terminals for providing a precise voltage to the OBIRCH analysiscircuit. A diode circuit is also connected across the positive andnegative outputs of the power source and includes a common or bi-polardiode having its anode connected to the positive output and its cathodeconnected to the anode of a plurality of Schottky diodes seriallyconnected, cathode-to-anode. The negative output of the power source isconnected to the cathode of the end Schottky diode of the plurality ofserially connected diodes, such that a precise and different voltageselection is available at each Schottky diode of the series. One of theprecise voltages at the anode of one of the Schottky diodes is thenconnected to a circuit element to be tested as its core or operatingvoltage and an OBIRCH circuit analysis is then run on the circuitelement to be tested in the normal manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a prior art OBIRCH analysis setup using a first power supplyto drive the OBIRCH circuitry and a second power supply to operate thecircuit elements of the IC being tested;

FIG. 2 is an OBIRCH setup according to the present invention fordecreasing the effects of power supply background noise and instabilityby using a single constant voltage power supply and a Schottky diodecircuit to power both the OBIRCH analysis circuit and the circuitelement under test; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the Schottky diode circuit of the presentinvention showing various voltages available for driving the IC elementsunder test.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram of the prior artapparatus for carrying out an OBIRCH method of analysis. As shown, an IC(integrated circuit) 10 is supported in a package 12 having a pluralityof input/output contacts such as contact 14. In the embodimentillustrated, there is also included a test fixture 16 for ease ofsupporting and connecting the packaged IC chip 10 during testing.

A laser 18 together with a scanning microscope 20 is used to focus alaser beam onto elements of the chip 10 as it scans an area of the chip.The scanned area is determined by a signal on control line 22 providedby controller 24. Controller 24 also includes conversion circuitry toreceive a signal indicating the precise position of the laser beam asits scans the chip 10. A constant voltage power supply 26 provides acurrent through the wires or conductors on chip 10 being measured, and acurrent sensing device 28 determines, measures and amplifies the currenttraveling through the selected wires and conductors on chip 10. Currentsensing device 28 also sends a signal indication of the sensed currentto controller 24.

Also according to the prior art, there is another power supply 30 suchas a model 4155 from the Hewlett Packard Company for providing selected“core” or “operating” voltages to the active current elements on chip10. The controller 24 then provides imaging information corresponding tothe sensed current at each scanning position to the display 32. Theprovided information is typically luminescence information correspondingto the sensed current so that an image output of the chip provides animage indication of current flow through the wires and conductors at thevarious scan positions.

Although suitable for some testing, the prior art arrangement of FIG. 1is not always satisfactory when testing portions of an IC with operatingactive elements such as transistors and the like. This unsatisfactoryoperation is typically due to background noise, drift and other forms ofinstability of the power supply 30 with respect to the constant voltagesupply 26. This noise and instability swamps the current charges due todefects in the chip so as to make the current images unreliable.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a new method of setting upan OBIRCH circuit analysis that overcomes these problems. Those portionsof the circuit arrangement that operate similar to the prior artarrangement carry the same reference numbers used in FIG. 1. Therefore,as shown, and according to the present invention, the separate powersupply 30 has been eliminated with the constant voltage power supply 26in addition to being used as the current source for providing currentthrough the wires and conductors of the chip 10 being tested, is nowconnected to a diode circuit 34, comprised of a pair of common orbipolar diodes 36 and 38 connected to a series of Schottky diodes 40-52.In the embodiment shown, each of the Schottky diodes 40-52, connectedcathode-to-anode, are selected to provide a precise voltage drop so thatalong with the two bipolar diodes 36 and 38, the constant voltage frompower supply 26 results in a series of variable voltages 54 at the anodeof each of the Schottky diodes.

As an example, the voltage output from constant voltage power supply 26used to provide a constant current is typically about 3.6 volts, andseven Schottky diodes are all precisely selected to have a forwardvoltage drop of 0.3 volts each. These voltages, when combined with theforward voltage drop of the two common or bipolar diodes, provide aseries of stable voltages available for use as the core or operatingvoltage of circuit elements on IC chip 10. Also as shown, output 56 and58 provide additional voltage taps if needed. FIG. 3 is a more detailedillustration of the diode circuit 34.

Thus, by using constant voltage power supply 26, any background noise ofthe power supply 28 will be seen simultaneously at both the currentsource to the wires and conductors and to the core operating voltageprovided to the individual elements on chip 10 so as to effectivelycancel each other and provide a less distorted current image at display32.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described indetail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions andalterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example,it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art thatdimensions and layer thickness may be varied while remaining within thescope of the present invention.

Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, methods and stepsdescribed in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention,processes, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to bedeveloped, that perform substantially the same function or achievesubstantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments describedherein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly,the appended claims are intended to include within their scope suchprocesses, methods, or steps.

1. A method of reducing noise and power supply instability problemsduring OBIRCH analysis testing of circuit elements requiring a preciseoperating or core voltage comprising the steps of: providing an OBIRCHanalysis circuit having I/O terminals; connecting a circuit element tobe tested to said OBIRCH analysis circuitry; connecting a power sourcehaving a positive and a negative output across said I/O terminals forproviding a known voltage to said OBIRCH analysis circuit; connecting adiode circuit across said positive and negative outputs of said powersource, said diode circuit comprising the steps of connecting the anodeof a common or bi-polar diode to said positive output and connecting thecathode of said bi-polar diode to the anode of the first one of aplurality of Schottky diodes serially connected, cathode-to-anode, andcoupling said negative output of said power source to the cathode end ofsaid plurality of serially connected Schottky diodes, such that aprecise and different voltage selection is available at the anode ofeach Schottky diode of said series; connecting one of said precisevoltage selections to said circuit element to be tested as its core oroperating voltage; and running an OBIRCH circuit analysis on saidcircuit element to be tested.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein saiddiode circuit further comprises a second common or bi-polar diode havingits anode connected at the cathode end of said plurality of seriallyconnected Schottky diodes and with its cathode connected to the negativeterminal of said power source.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein saidstep of connecting a power source comprises connecting a power sourcehaving an output voltage of approximately 3.6 volts.
 4. The method ofclaim 3 wherein said step of connecting a plurality of Schottky diodescomprises the step of connecting seven Schottky diodes having a forwardvoltage drop of approximately 0.3 volts each.
 5. Circuitry for reducingnoise and power supply instability problems during OBIRCH analysistesting of circuit elements on an integrated circuit requiring a preciseoperating or core voltage comprising: an OBIRCH analysis circuit havingI/O terminals; an integrated circuit to be tested connected to saidOBIRCH analysis circuitry; a power source having a positive and anegative output connected across said I/O terminals for providing aprecise voltage to said OBIRCH analysis circuit; a diode circuitconnected across said positive and negative outputs of said powersource, said diode circuit comprising a common or bi-polar diode havingits anode connected to said positive output and its cathode connected tothe anode of a plurality of Schottky diodes serially connected,cathode-to-anode, said negative output of said power source beingcoupled to the cathode of the end Schottky diode of said plurality ofserially connected diodes, such that a precise and different voltageselection is available at the anode of each Schottky diode of saidseries; and said integrated circuit to be tested connected to one ofsaid precise voltage selections as its core or operating voltage.
 6. Thecircuitry of claim 5 further comprising a second common or bi-polardiode connected at the other end of said plurality of serially connectedSchottky diodes and with its cathode connected to the negative terminalof said power source.
 7. The circuitry of claim 5 wherein said powersource has an output voltage of approximately 3.6 volts.
 8. Thecircuitry of claim 7 wherein said plurality of serially connectedSchottky diodes comprises seven serially connected diodes each having aforward voltage drop of approximately 0.3 volts each.